While da Vinci Days didn't draw as large of attendance as in 2007, the festival still drew crowds to Oregon State University's lower campus from Friday through Sunday, said executive director Brenda vanDevelder.

"This year represented what I think is the sustainable level of attendance for the festival. I think it's going to be pretty comparable to the 2006 levels," she said. "It really felt like the right size crowd for our community."

Attendance figures haven't been tallied yet for the 20th version of the festival, which celebrates art, science and technology, and Corvallis' heady mix of the trio.

Last year, thanks to popular Portland-based band Pink Martini, da Vinci Days drew a whopping 25,000 people, which vanDevelder thought was the event's high-water mark for attendance. That was about 25 percent higher than in 2006.

There weren't long lines over the weekend, but plenty of people provided a sense of excitement at da Vinci Days, vanDevelder said.

This year, the Kinetic Challenge also was renamed the Graand Kinetic Challenge, in honor of Raan Young, who founded the contest 15 years ago.

During the challenge, participants race human-powered sculptures on roads, over sand, through mud and atop water.

Organizers also did an exit survey at this year's festival.

"I'm not sure when we'll have that data to report on," van Develder said. "The weather was just about perfect, and we heard great feedback from people."

Kyle Odegard can be contacted at kyle.odegard@lee.net or 758-9523.